Est. 1998 · Nottingham, UK · The Definitive Resource

MAVERICKGUITARS

The community registry, identification guide and archive for Maverick Guitars — the British-designed guitar brand active 1998–2006. Document your instrument. Preserve the history.

BROWSE REGISTRY IDENTIFY YOUR GUITAR
3
Registered
3
Models
2
Generations
Community Database

THE REGISTRY

Every known Maverick guitar documented in one place. Serial numbers, generation identifiers, provenance and specifications — built by owners, for owners.

Serial Model Gen Colour Bridge Logo Headstock Neck Pitch Source Location
Generation Guide

IDENTIFY YOURMAVERICK

Maverick produced two distinct generations of guitars. Use this guide to identify which generation your instrument belongs to — all identifiers documented from physical examination of known examples.

GENERATION 1
Earlier production · Lower serial numbers
  • No pickup surrounds
    Pickups mount directly to body
  • Ultra-thin neck profile
    Thinner than Ibanez Wizard — approx 17–18mm at 1st fret
  • Italic script bridge logo
    Maverick name in italic embossed script
  • Reflective metal headstock decal
    Metallic inlay or reflective overlay
  • No neck binding
  • Cylindrical toggle switch with o-ring grip
    Rubber o-ring on toggle knob
  • Whammy bar with o-ring grips
    O-ring detail on Floyd bar
  • Two-piece maple neck with scarf joint
    Visible joint between frets 1–3. Darker wood skunk stripe ending at joint
  • ~13° headstock break angle
    Gibson-territory. Measurable with phone inclinometer
  • ~1° neck pitch (body angle)
    ~8mm packing needed to level neck on flat surface. PRS-equivalent geometry
GENERATION 2
Later production · Higher serial numbers
  • Pickup surrounds present
    Standard pickup rings fitted
  • Thicker neck profile
    More conventional superstrat dimensions
  • Stencil block bridge text
    MAVERICK in block stencil lettering
  • Cream silkscreen headstock logo
    Printed on black headstock
  • Neck binding present
    Bound fretboard edges
  • Tapered push-on toggle knob
    Standard style, no o-ring
  • Whammy bar without o-ring grips
    Standard Floyd bar
  • Single-piece neck construction
    No scarf joint, no skunk stripe
  • ~8° headstock break angle
    Ibanez/PRS territory
  • Flat neck — no body pitch
    0mm packing needed. Fender-style geometry

QUICK COMPARISON

FeatureGeneration 1Generation 2
Pickup surroundsAbsentPresent
Neck profileUltra-thin (~17mm)Standard thickness
Bridge logoItalic scriptStencil block
Headstock logoReflective metal inlayCream silkscreen
Neck bindingNonePresent
Toggle switchCylindrical + o-ringTapered push-on
Whammy barO-ring gripsStandard
Neck construction2-piece, scarf joint1-piece
Skunk stripePresent, ends at scarf jointAbsent
Headstock angle~13°~8°
Neck pitch~1° / ~8mm packing0° / flat

HOW TO MEASURE HEADSTOCK ANGLE

01
Level the neck
Lay guitar on its back on a flat surface. For Gen 1 guitars you will need to place ~8mm of packing under the body near the strap button to level the neck — this packing requirement itself confirms Gen 1 neck pitch.
02
Zero your phone
Open the Measure app on iPhone (or any free inclinometer app on Android). Place flat on the back of the neck. Note the reading — should be near 0°.
03
Measure the headstock
Move phone to lay flat on the back of the headstock. The angle reading is your headstock break angle. Gen 1 ≈ 13°. Gen 2 ≈ 8°. Submit your measurement to the registry.
Model Guide

THE RANGE

Maverick produced a focused range of rock and metal-oriented electric guitars, all British-designed and manufactured in Korea in collaboration with hardware designer Trev Wilkinson.

F1
The flagship superstrat. Dual humbucker with Floyd Rose locking tremolo. The fastest-selling model in the range. Available in both generations.
ConfigHH
BridgeFloyd Rose
BodyBasswood / Alder
ScaleStandard
F2
The sophisticated hybrid. Gibson neck geometry — pitched neck, 13° headstock, scarf joint construction — married to a low Fender-style hardtail. Dual humbucker. Exceptionally low action potential. Low production numbers suggest a specialist instrument.
ConfigHH
BridgeHardtail
Neck pitch~1° (PRS equivalent)
Headstock~13°
F3
The versatile workhorse. HSH pickup configuration with Floyd Rose. Highest production numbers of the range — the most commercially successful model. Wide appeal across rock and metal styles.
ConfigHSH
BridgeFloyd Rose
Frets24
Neck bindingPresent (Gen 2)
F4
British-designed superstrat with HSS configuration and Wilkinson hardtail bridge. Composite-shape neck morphing from vintage V at nut to D-shape at body. Reviewed at £649.
ConfigHSS
BridgeWilkinson hardtail
NeckV to D composite
Frets22
X1
The radical design. Explorer/Mockingbird-influenced body shape. Known for aggressive looks while maintaining strong playability. Used by bands including Mindstorms. Available in 7-string configuration.
BodyExplorer/Mockingbird
Strings6 and 7 string
EndorsersMindstorms
G1
Maverick's take on the Les Paul format. Set-neck construction in the Gibson tradition. Rarer than the superstrat models. Reportedly all parts and designs were sold following the bankruptcy.
StyleLes Paul
NeckSet neck
RarityHigh
SF1
Streetfighter — a rare custom variant. As few as 4 examples known in certain colourways. Features reverse headstock, fret vents (markers drilled through neck), Wilkinson hardware. Commissioned by specific retailers.
HeadstockReverse
FeatureFret vents
RarityVery high
Species
A distinct sub-range within the Maverick lineup. Notably did not feature the recessed roller pot control system found on the main F-series. Various configurations available.
ControlsStandard pots
RangeSub-series

Maverick serial numbers follow the format [MODEL]-[SEQUENTIAL NUMBER] — each model maintained its own independent production sequence. F2-00024 indicates the 24th F2 produced. Based on known examples, production volumes vary significantly by model: F3 series exceeded 744+ units while F2 series may have been as low as 24–100 units, suggesting the F2 was a low-volume specialist instrument. The transition between generations occurred at different serial points per model. If you own a Maverick, please submit your serial number to help establish the generational transition point for each model.

Pattern Recognition

COLOUR & BATCHANALYSIS

As the registry grows, patterns emerge. Maverick likely produced guitars in colour batches — meaning similar serial numbers within the same model should share colour options. This analysis may help identify unknown model labels by cross-referencing colour, generation and serial range against confirmed examples.

Highest known serial per model — helps establish minimum production volumes and generation transition points

Registered guitars where model label has been lost — community identification needed

If Maverick produced colour runs in batches, guitars of the same colour within a model series should cluster in similar serial number ranges. Select a colour below to see all matching registered examples — this may help identify unknown models where the colour is known but the label is missing.

Brand History

THE STORY

The history of a British guitar brand that built something genuinely special, then disappeared before the world properly noticed.

1998
Maverick Guitar Company founded
Founded by Mark James in the UK, in association with renowned hardware designer Trev Wilkinson. Company registered as Maverick Guitar Company Limited (Companies House no. 03974378). Guitars designed in Britain, manufactured in Korea using a "perimeter manufacturing" process — bodies hand-cut using pin-routers and templates rather than automated CNC machines.
1999
First generation instruments
Generation 1 instruments enter production. Characterised by ultra-thin neck profiles, scarf joint two-piece neck construction, Gibson-equivalent neck geometry (13° headstock, ~1° neck pitch), italic bridge script and reflective headstock logo. Roller pot volume/tone system with o-ring ergonomic detailing throughout. Range includes F1, F2, F3, X1, G1 and Species models.
2001
2001 brochure published
A 6-page product brochure is produced. One known scan exists, held by Vintaxe.com. Physical copies are extremely rare — considered primary source documents for the brand.
2002
Full catalogue and second generation
A 16-page full colour catalogue published covering the complete range. Generation 2 instruments introduced — neck binding added, thicker neck profiles, stencil bridge text, silkscreen headstock logos, single-piece neck construction, 8° headstock angle, flat neck geometry. F4 model introduced. Endorsed by American Headcharge and Mindstorms among others.
2006
Bankruptcy and closure
Maverick Guitar Company declares bankruptcy. The owner, Mark James, gives interviews to guitar magazines explaining the closure and stating his intention to make guitars again in the future under a different venture. The company website disappears. All parts and designs reportedly sold — some sources suggest to a Russian company. No revival has materialised. The domain maverickguitars.co.uk was renewed as recently as April 2024, suggesting ongoing interest from an unknown party.
The Design Philosophy
Maverick's Generation 1 instruments were built to a coherent geometric philosophy that was never publicly articulated. The F2 in particular combines Gibson neck pitch and headstock angle with a low Fender-style hardtail — producing string geometry equivalent to PRS Core instruments costing three to four times the price. Every ergonomic touch point — roller pots, o-ring toggle, o-ring whammy bar — was deliberately considered. This level of design thinking was unprecedented at the price point.
Trev Wilkinson
Hardware designer Trev Wilkinson was central to the Maverick project. He contributed pickups (Alnico V humbuckers voiced for warmth rather than the ceramic magnets typical at this price point), bridges, tuners and extensive factory tutoring in Korea. His involvement elevated Maverick's hardware significantly above what the price point would typically suggest. Wilkinson remains active in guitar hardware design today.
The Unanswered Questions
What caused the 2006 bankruptcy remains undocumented in detail — magazine interviews existed at the time but have not been digitised. The whereabouts of Mark James are unknown. The maverickguitars.co.uk domain is held by Proweb (UK) Ltd of Nottingham and was renewed in April 2024. Whether this represents ongoing interest in reviving the brand, or simply an administrative holdover, is unknown. In 2024 a Chinese company registered the Maverick trademark for guitars in the USA.
Contribute

REGISTER YOURGUITAR

Every Maverick documented builds a more complete picture. Whether you own an instrument, have seen a listing, or found a forum post — submit what you know. All fields except serial and model are optional.

Identity
Generation Identifiers
Provenance